The Fire Alarm
by sunisrisingonawinchester
Summary: When the fire alarm goes off in Castiel's apartment, he and the rest of the inhabitants are forced to evacuate, including the cute new neighbor.


It was an accident. An honest accident. But a terribly tragic one at that.

Castiel Novak had been unable to sleep. That's when this whole catastrophe had started. Michael and Luke had gotten him all riled up with their arguing, and so when he finally did get home after a long day at work followed by mediating his brothers persistent arguments, he couldn't sleep, even though he desperately had to get up early tomorrow morning to go back to work.

So he had done the only sane thing, and tried to bake some cupcakes. Cupcakes were easy. Cupcakes were soothing.

Until they got abandoned in the oven for a few minutes too long and set off the building's fire alarm.

Castiel had gotten them out of the oven in the split second before the alarm went off- coughing and waving smoke wildly out of his face-, so he was fairly certain the building wouldn't burn down, unless his neighbors made the same mistake and left highly flammable baked goods in their ovens.

Unfortunately, the cupcakes' immediate removal hadn't prevented the alarm from blaring shrilly, waking up the entire building.

So, now Castiel, and all of the tenants of his building, were out on the sidewalk in front of the building. Most of them anticipated this to be a false alarm, and were waiting impatiently for the fire marshall to allow them back inside, but still waited anxiously, hoping that if there _was_ a fire, it wasn't on their floor.

Castiel's neighbors gave him bleary nods, still mostly unconscious. Oh, Castiel hoped they didn't know it was him. Castiel shivered at little due to the cold, glancing at his wrist watch. It was three AM. That explained the sleepwalking zombie look.

He smiled weakly at Mr. Singer, hoping that his smile came across as more commiserating than "sorry I tried to burn the building down at three AM".

At that moment, two hulking men came stumbling out of the building. The taller one was blinking exhaustedly, his long hair sticking out in every direction possible.

"Who the _Hell_ tried to burn down the building?!" the other one bellows. "And why couldn't the son of a bitch wait until later than three _in the morning_?"

Castiel swallows. The shouting one stomps to a grumpy halt next to Castiel.

"Oh, shut up, Dean," Joanna Harvelle from down the hall mutters.

"Make me, Jo," he replies teasingly. A smile bursts across his face, and by God, it is radiant.

Castiel can't remember seeing him before. He must be the one who moved into apartment 13B last week, since that's the only one that's been up for rent recently.

Now that Castiel is less worried about the guy- Dean- giving him a black eye because he woke him up at three AM, he notices that Dean's wearing a leather jacket over his boxers. Which reminds Castiel that it's freezing out here. _Why_ couldn't he have burned down the apartments in July? He shivers.

"Hey, you cold over there?" Dean asks. Castiel shrugs, but he's not sure you can pick it out amidst the shivers. "Here," Dean says, shrugging out of his coat.

"No- I couldn't-" Castiel stammers.

"Take it. You're shivering so hard you'll bite your tongue off."

Castiel takes the jacket cautiously and wraps it around himself. Oh, it's warm. And it smells _so _good. He wants to protest again, but this jacket is warmer than the night chill, so he simply asks,

"Wh-what about you?"

"I'll be fine. I've been colder."

Castiel looks over at Dean to thank him and is struck dumb by the sight of Dean in just his underwear. _Oh God. Castiel, say_ something_. He's going to think you're a nut job._

Dean smirks as Castiel stares openly at him.

"See something you like?" Dean asks. Castiel blushes furiously, ducking his head, and tries to stammer out an apology. "Hey, that's alright. No shame in looking. I'm Dean."

"Ca-Cas-Castiel," Castiel stutters out as he tries to stop shivering.

"Cool name," Dean smiles. "So… Who do you think tried to burn the building down?" he asks, leaning toward Castiel conspiratorially.

"Uh…"

"I personally think it was Andy," Dean tells him with a wink, his green eyes sparkling with impish humor and watching Castiel.

Castiel realizes he's joking and decides to play along.

"Actually, I think it was likely Chuck."

"The owner?"

Castiel is stopped from responding as some fire trucks come barrelling up and several firefighters leap out ready to fight the non-existent fire. Oh God, Castiel should say something.

"So, Cas. How long have you lived here?"

Castiel doesn't fail to notice the nickname Dean gave him, and he blushes a little in spite of himself, turning back to Dean unable to resist the open green eyes.

"About a year and half. My brothers helped me find the place after my last one burned down."

"Not running a really good track record there, are you?" Dean remarks. "Well, let's hope you don't go 0 for two."

Castiel coughs out a laugh.

"Ooh, that one's hot," Dean says, admiring one of the firefighters, squinting a little as he studies the man in question.

"I guess," Castiel mutters, not bothering to mention that when you're standing next to the sun, even a forest fire looks cool by comparison.

"What, not your type?" Dean asks turning back.

"Not really," is all Castiel says. Because how can he explain that until this moment he never had a type, but right now his type is definitely Dean?

"What about that one?" Dean asks, pointing to another. Castiel shakes his head.

"Dean!" the long-haired guy who walked out with Dean comes over. "The fire marshal says we're good to go back inside. Just a false alarm apparently. Let's go back to bed," he says with a yawn.

"Okay, Sammy. Hey, meet Cas. Cas, this is Sam."

"Oh, hello," Castiel says with a sinking feeling. "You two live together?"

"Yep," Dean replies blithely, as if he has no idea how he's shattering Castiel's dreams. "Listen, maybe I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, sure, maybe," Castiel responds, taking off Dean's jacket and holding it out to him.

"Hold on to it," Dean shrugs with a wink. "You need it more than I do."

Castiel watches Dean and Sam walk off towards the building, still holding onto the jacket.

* * *

The next day, Castiel decides to make cookies for all of his neighbors, as an anonymous apology for waking them up in the middle of the night. That night he takes all of the cookies in little plastic baggies and puts them outside everyone's doors. They all have little notes that say "Sorry for trying to burn down the building. Have an apology cookie."

He pauses in front of the apartment that belongs to Sam and Dean. Slowly, he peels off Dean's jacket, folds it, and sets the cookies on top of it. He's kneeling down to set it on the floor in front of their door when the door flies open. Sam pauses in the doorway, barely stopping himself from tripping over him or falling down. Distantly, beyond his shock and sudden panic, he can understand what Dean would see in Sam.

"Oh, hey. Cas, right? Are you here to see Dean?"

"Uh, no. I just- I was just-" Cas stutters, standing up.

"Here, hold on, I'll get him," Sam says. "Hey, Dean!"

"Yeah?" Dean's voice echoes from somewhere in the apartment.

"Cas is here!"

"Wait- I just-"

"He'll be here in a second. Listen, I have to get to work. Good to see you again."

"Uh, yeah, you too," Cas replies as Sam brushes past him just as Dean steps into view in the doorway.

"Hey, Cas," Dean says with that radiant smile of his. Oh, God, Cas is a goner. "Whatcha got there?"

"Huh? Oh! I brought your jacket back," Castiel explains, holding the forgotten bundle out.

"What are these?" he asks picking up the bag.

"Oh, they're, uh-"

"'Sorry for trying to burn down the building'. Wait, did you-"

"It was an accident. I, uh, tried to over-cook some cupcakes, and..."

Dean chuckles.

"Listen, you, uh, want to come in?"

"Oh, I don't know if I should…" Castiel replies nervously.

"Ah, come on. I promise not to ravish the impressionable youth."

"Are you sure your boyfriend won't mind?" Castiel asks quietly, with a bit of inexplicably harsh inflection on the word "boyfriend".

"Boyfriend?" Dean's face scrunches in confusion, which Castiel has to admit is adorable. "Wait, you don't mean _Sam_?" Castiel nods. "Oh my God. No. Nononononono. Sam's my brother."

Castiel blushes more fiercely than ever before. Oh God, how could he have possibly misread that _so _much? And with that embarrassment blooms a little bit of hope. Does that mean Dean is- dare he even hope it- available? Castiel shuts that thought down quickly. Even if he's not dating Sam, there's no way this Adonis isn't in a relationship.

"So, do you want to come in? I promise, my imaginary, non-existent boyfriend won't get offended," Dean offers.

Castiel's inner demon highfives the angel on his shoulder. Score.

"Sure. I mean, if you don't mind," he says, following Dean into his apartment. "Listen, I am sorry about the fire alarm."

"I count it as a win in my book."

"What do you mean?" Castiel asks. Dean blushes, and just when Castiel thought he couldn't get any cuter.

"Well, I got to meet the cute guy who lives in my building."

Castiel's hopes crumble again. He really has to stop aiming so high. This is turning into the most painful experience of his life. Before he can begin to flounder for an excuse to return to his own apartment and try to salvage up the black box of his crush on Dean, Dean smiles and adds a thought onto his previous statement.

"I got to meet you."

Castiel pauses. Does Dean mean that in the sense that he _also_ got to meet Castiel, or does he mean that Castiel _is_ the cute guy?

"Actually, Sam was going to force me to find your apartment and ask you out, since apparently I won't stop talking about you, but since I didn't know you're apartment number…" Dean starts to babble. Castiel is struck by how adorable he is, in the split second before his brain processes Dean's sentence.

"Wait- you were going to ask me out?"

"Well, I mean, uh, yeah. Maybe. But I didn't know which apartment you lived in…"

Castiel is struggling to not get up and jump for joy, especially since his insides appear to be doing a pretty good job of it for him.

"You _really_ want to go out some time?"

"Well… yeah."

"With me?"

"No, with Chuck the landlord. Yes, with you."

_Don't squeal, Castiel. Don't squeal, Castiel._

"I-" Castiel begins. He has to clear his throat, since that part came out a little high and squeaky. "I'd like that."

"Really?" Dean asks eagerly. Castiel nods and Dean smiles that radiant smile again. Castiel blushes and looks down, and catches sight of his watch.

"It's getting late. I should go."

"Oh, okay. Tomorrow? Say around seven?" Dean suggests.

"Yeah, absolutely," Castiel replies pleased. He gets up to go to the door and Dean goes with them. He steps back through the door when Dean grabs him by the shoulders and kisses him. Castiel's eyes widen in surprise.

When Dean pulls away, what seems like both hours later and only seconds, he smiles and pushes something into Castiel's hands. Castiel looks down and sees the jacket.

"It looks good on you. See you tomorrow."


End file.
